Various types of batons are used for self defense in law enforcement. Configurations include straight ‘nightsticks’, or those modified with a side handle that may be carried in a holster on the hip or leg; more recently developed designs may be telescoping or expandable, allowing the baton to be carried in a holster on the belt, out of the way and not noticeable until it is needed.
Effective use of any self-defense apparatus, including batons, may require education of the user and use of realistic training scenarios (reality-based training). Reality-based training refers to an approach to self-defense training focusing on practical applications. Correct technique, proper tactics and use of the apparatus are taught in the context of a real situation, and the user handles the training apparatus in the same manner as the ‘real’ or service apparatus would be. Through repetition, such an approach may allow for the development of ‘muscle memory’, confidence and skill, and allow the user to react and perform appropriately, using the service apparatus effectively.
While ideally, the apparatus used in training would be identical to that used in a real situation, this may not be practical with weapons that deliver lethal, or less-lethal force. Use of non-lethal training ammunition (e.g. paint rounds) instead of live ammunition in a firearms training scenario is one adaptation. Use of a service baton in self-defense training, may inadvertently deliver sufficient force to cause injury or death if used on a training subject, even if they are protected by padding. Employing a ‘striking bag’ or other inanimate object (e.g. striking dummy) may remove most risk of injury associated with baton practice, but a striking bag cannot fight back, or respond to the user's actions or commands. A padded and trained role player may be the best practice to offer the user (the person being trained) realistic actions, threat cues, and human responses to strikes and tactics.
A training baton is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,998. This apparatus includes a flexible rod covered by a cushioning material and a removable (e.g. cloth) cover. Such a device may not fit into a holster used for most police batons and may necessitate a user placing the device in a pocket, through a loop or otherwise jury-rigging a means of carrying the device, that may not accurately reflect the user's normal practice for carrying a baton. When the user enters a training scenario, the act of locating and accessing the baton from the holster is not practiced, and thus important steps of the reality-based training is missed. The ‘muscle memory’ may not be developed and thus may not be available for a user to implement when faced with a real situation.
Patents by Siddle (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,372,363, 5,568,922 and 5,690,552) disclose a telescoping baton and a method of making a telescoping baton by injection molding. These batons comprise a handle, middle and end section, with the end section being a metal rod. A magnet or metal clip in the handle end engages the metal end section to maintain the baton in a collapsed state. To expand such a device, a sharp swing of the handle in arc causes the metal rod to exert force so that the inner telescoping sections thrust outward under centrifugal force.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,653 to Parsons discloses an expandable baton with an end section having a removable tip. The tip may be magnetic, or have an ‘o-ring’ to aid in searching. A coupler for joining two batons to provide a riot control device, or riot baton is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,657,986, 5,868,621 and 5,356,139, also to Parsons, disclose an expandable baton comprising sections made of dissimilar materials. The handle and/or middle sections may be made of a lightweight material, while the tip section is a hardened steel material, placing the mass at the outer tip end of the baton to maintain the strike force capability of the baton.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,490, also to Parsons, discloses a collapsible service baton comprising a locking lug for maintaining the baton in an expanded configuration, which may be collapsed by a twisting motion (instead of applying force to the tip along the axis of the baton, by hitting the ground or a wall, for example).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,858 to Otto et al. discloses an expandable baton comprising a variable weight holding configuration adapted to retain at least one weight member inside the axial bore of the end section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,888 to Hindi discloses a bulbous end cap (“Hindi Baton Cap™”) for use with an expandable police baton.
Some expandable batons in the art appear to employ a magnet or clip to engage the metal rod of the end section to maintain a collapsed configuration. For batons having a second or middle section, this section may be restrained in the collapsed configuration by the tip or knob at the distal end of the end section.
An improved baton for self-defense training that is handled in the same, or effectively similar, manner as a service baton in field use is needed.